CCBC-Net Archives
HP as mystery: Chamber of Secrets
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Robin Smith <smithr>
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 14:28:14 -0500
Christine and Katy are dead-on. (Is that a British phrase? :-)) The red-herrings and wrong paths all contribute to the fact that most readers report that they read the book in one huge gulp. It was also the hardest thing about reviewing the book early-on; any detail revealed in a review might take away from the mystery. The reader never knows WHICH detail or magical happening or person or potion...might hold the key to the ending. Robin
-----Original Message---- From: Kathleen Horning
[SMTP:horning at education.wisc.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 1:07 PM
To: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: Re: HP as mystery: Chamber of Secrets
Christine, you made some very interesting points about HP and the
Chamber of Secrets. I hadn't thought of it as a mystery, but, as I
recall, I couldn't put it down once I started reading because I was so
anxious to find out what would happen next. That's exactly what
happens to me when I read a mystery.
I, too, liked the second book a lot and find it puzzling that it
seems to be the least favorite book of so many HP fans. So perhaps
you've got something there, in terms of mystery readers vs non-mystery
readers. In addition to the themes you described, I enjoyed Rowling's
exploration of fame as a theme, contrasting Gilderoy Lockhart and
Harry Potter. And, in spite of the serious issues she raised in the
book, I found it to be the funniest one so far, what with Lockhart and
Moaning Myrtle as key players.
Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu)
Cooperative Children's Book Center
University of Wisconsin-School of Education
4290 Helen C. White Hall
600 North Park St.
Madison, WI 53706
608&3930
FAX: 608&2I33
To remove your address from the mailing list, send a message with the header...
To: listserv at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Subject: signoff ccbc-net
Received on Thu 21 Sep 2000 02:28:14 PM CDT
Date: Thu, 21 Sep 2000 14:28:14 -0500
Christine and Katy are dead-on. (Is that a British phrase? :-)) The red-herrings and wrong paths all contribute to the fact that most readers report that they read the book in one huge gulp. It was also the hardest thing about reviewing the book early-on; any detail revealed in a review might take away from the mystery. The reader never knows WHICH detail or magical happening or person or potion...might hold the key to the ending. Robin
-----Original Message---- From: Kathleen Horning
[SMTP:horning at education.wisc.edu]
Sent: Thursday, September 21, 2000 1:07 PM
To: ccbc-net at ccbc.soemadison.wisc.edu
Subject: Re: HP as mystery: Chamber of Secrets
Christine, you made some very interesting points about HP and the
Chamber of Secrets. I hadn't thought of it as a mystery, but, as I
recall, I couldn't put it down once I started reading because I was so
anxious to find out what would happen next. That's exactly what
happens to me when I read a mystery.
I, too, liked the second book a lot and find it puzzling that it
seems to be the least favorite book of so many HP fans. So perhaps
you've got something there, in terms of mystery readers vs non-mystery
readers. In addition to the themes you described, I enjoyed Rowling's
exploration of fame as a theme, contrasting Gilderoy Lockhart and
Harry Potter. And, in spite of the serious issues she raised in the
book, I found it to be the funniest one so far, what with Lockhart and
Moaning Myrtle as key players.
Kathleen T. Horning (horning at education.wisc.edu)
Cooperative Children's Book Center
University of Wisconsin-School of Education
4290 Helen C. White Hall
600 North Park St.
Madison, WI 53706
608&3930
FAX: 608&2I33
To remove your address from the mailing list, send a message with the header...
To: listserv at ccbc.education.wisc.edu
Subject: signoff ccbc-net
Received on Thu 21 Sep 2000 02:28:14 PM CDT
